A diplomatic incident with Denmark over an IDF officer´s slamming the
face of a Danish protestor with his M-16 rifle was averted by the
IDF´s quick disciplinary action and Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu´s immediate condemnation, diplomatic officials said Monday.

Danish Foreign Minister Villy Sondal said in a statement posted on
the Danish Foreign Ministry´s web site that "we do not yet know the
circumstances surrounding the incident," and that Denmark´s
ambassador to Israel Liselotte Kjærsgaard Plesner had "immediately
asked the Israeli authorities for an explanation."

"I can see that the soldier involved was immediately suspended and
the matter is now being investigated," Sondal said.

Sondal noted that Netanyahu had already condemned the incident. "We
must all condemn the use of force, which apparently has occurred
against the demonstrators," he said. Within three hours after the
incident aired on Channel 2 Sunday night, Netanyahu condemned it and
said that behavior such as this had no place in the IDF or in Israel.